Adhesive tapes generally comprise at least a backing material and an adhesive, wherein the adhesive is generally a pressure sensitive adhesive. The pressure sensitive adhesive can be a permanent pressure sensitive adhesive, where once the adhesive surface of the tape is applied to a substrate the tape cannot be peeled away from the substrate surface without damaging the tape or the substrate surface. Alternatively, the pressure sensitive adhesive can be a removable pressure sensitive adhesive, where once the adhesive surface of the tape is applied to a substrate the tape can be removed cleanly from the substrate surface without damaging the tape or the substrate surface. The strength of the adhesive bond is variable along a continuum, from a permanent pressure sensitive adhesive to a very light tack removable or easily released pressure sensitive adhesive, such as used in masking tape. The performance of the pressure sensitive adhesive bond will also vary dependent upon the substrate to which it is adhered; for example such as the difference between adhering to a hard, smooth surface or a soft, fibrous surface. Generally, the backing material is present in a long strip, and the backing material is ultimately attached to some other surface or substrate, through the pressure sensitive adhesive. This attachment may be permanent, as in a sealing tape, or temporary, as in a surgical tape, a masking tape or painter's tape.
The backing used to compose a pressure sensitive adhesive tape and materials can be made of a variety of materials, such as cloth, paper, films, foils, various laminates, and can include strand reinforcement in the backing material. Film-backed tapes are very prevalent and are well-known by consumers. The film backing material can be selected from a group including cellophane, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and cellulose acetate films. Consumers are well aware of and commonly use film-backed pressure sensitive adhesive tapes, where finger pressure is sufficient to activate the adhesive, for sealing gift wrapping on presents, mending tears in paper, bandaging medical wounds, sealing boxes, and the like. Generally, the film is transparent, so that any writing or pattern is still visible underneath the tape. Often, the backside of the film backing is coated with a release coating to reduce the adhesion of the adhesive to the backside of the next layer of tape, when the tape is provided in roll form. Further, cloth backings can be used with pressure sensitive adhesives to form strong tapes and materials with colored backing, such as surgical tape and duct tape. These types of tapes are often used for bandaging medical wounds, and for structural/sealing purposes. Segments of these types of tapes can be easily cut or torn off the roll of tape. The cloth backing can be coated to improve appearance, unwind characteristics and to improve adhesion of the pressure sensitive adhesive to the cloth backing.
Paper backing can also be used as a backing for pressure sensitive adhesive tape and materials. Here, too, the paper backing can be coated or impregnated with a material to strengthen the backing. Additionally, a release coating can be applied to the back of the paper backing, to reduce adhesion of the tape to itself; to reduce the unwind tension of the tape. Paper backing can also be used for decal tapes. These decal tapes are generally applied to release papers or develop no adhesion to the backing when in roll form. Further, paper backing can also be used for decal sheets and graphic art panels.
Pressure sensitive tapes can be used for various applications, in the home and in industry. As noted above, perhaps the best known product is the film or cellophane coated pressure sensitive tape used for sealing packages, wrapping gifts, repairing paper tears, and so on. Further, similar tapes are used in the packaging industry for sealing boxes and cartons containing products that require protection during shipment. Easily removable pressure sensitive tapes are used for masking surfaces which are to be painted. These masking tapes may be used, for example, in the automobile industry to mask areas of the automobile that are not to be painted and, for large surfaces which are to be protected, may be used to hold up masking paper. Painters often use masking tape to mask wall and ceiling edges so that the adjacent surface is protected and does not get painted, inadvertently. Further, tapes can be used for decorative stenciling of designs and/or names. The stencils can be positioned well before actual painting is required, and the stencil is easily removable after painting is completed.
Often, the pressure sensitive adhesive tape is provided in a roll form. The tape may have a width as small as a quarter inch, or smaller; or a width up to several inches, or even feet, dependent upon the use of the tape. Irrespective of the width of the tape, it is a common experience when using a roll of pressure sensitive tape to pull out a length of tape and find that the tape coils or curls upon itself. Often, this results in the adhesive side of the tape sticking to itself or sticking prematurely to the substrate for which it was intended, thus making the tape unusable and requiring a replacement length of tape, causing scrap, waste, and lost time. Equally important, the misapplied tape can cause damage to the material to which it was misapplied, for example, a car body waiting to be painted. Alternatively, time may be taken to disentangle the tape so that the tape could still be used, but this also results in lost time. In the home and office environments, these types of problems can slow down work and be annoying. In the industrial/business environment, these types of problems can result in potentially expensive work stoppages, especially if the pressure sensitive adhesive comes into contact with equipment and fouls the equipment, such that the equipment must be cleaned from adhesive before work can be resumed. Ultimately, the misapplied materials and mishandled materials can cause added expense to the final product.
Sheets containing a coating, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive on a surface can be used as graphic arts panels, decal sheets, stencils, and the like. Here, too, work may be stopped, and replacement sheets may potentially be required if the pressure sensitive sheet folds and adheres to itself or to an undesired surface, and cannot be removed without affecting the sheet or substrate. Further, if the product is a graphic panel, for example, the graphics used on a city bus or ambulance, then undesired contact of the surfaces of the panels may cause the panels to be unusable and add expense to the process or the product. Further, due to the bending of large sheets, more than one person may be required to mount a large decal, art panel, or other sheet to prevent the sheet from folding on itself.
Hence, there is a need for pressure sensitive tapes, coated tapes, coated sheets, and sheets and papers that can be manipulated without being subject to the problems noted above.